


smoke alarm

by larkspear



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Episode Tag, Gen, and trauma lbr, episode 6x19, reflections on the intense murder stuff of diaz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-04-25 09:04:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14375517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larkspear/pseuds/larkspear
Summary: This shouldn't be getting to her. It's not like she's never seen people killed before, it's not even like she's never done it herself. And it's not like she hasn't seen people tortured. But... it has been a long time. In some ways, she misses Cayden James. He was practical. Efficient. Like her. Diaz is like... well...Well, he hadn't listened when she'd told him who he was like.





	smoke alarm

**Author's Note:**

> i've noticed that there's not a lot of fics centered around black siren which i think is a damn shame, so i've made it my mission to write what i want to see in the world. this is just a rough introspective moment post 6x19

The only mercy in this is that Diaz doesn't feel the need to stick around and watch. If he had, he surely would have cooed something like _"No, you need to see the whole thing"_ , but he doesn't. It's more satisfying to know he died alone, she guesses. At this point, Laurel's just glad she can get out of here. **  
**

It's not like it's the first time she's seen someone burn to death, but Deathstorm was never so deliberate and slow about it. Back on Earth-2, they all liked to play pretend at being bloodthirsty monsters, but most of them didn't  _actually_ enjoy it. If you smile a little and say something dramatic between hits, then even an efficient kill looks like you're having fun.

This is... not how they did things on Earth-2.

After Diaz is done with his... well, calling it revenge feels petty, Laurel goes back to her place. Diaz is too consumed by his vengeance to care about her leaving, which is good, because she didn't want to come up with an excuse for why she wants to leave.

When she gets back to her apartment - her _father's_ apartment - she finds herself going through the motions. It's the usual routine for when she goes out, which she’s practically perfected.

Change outfits. Put on the other Laurel's clothes. Carefully separate anything with blood or ash or anything incriminating into a pile in the back of the closet to get rid of. Clean up any cuts and bruises. Stare in the mirror. Find something no one will miss (a piece of paper's always good) and crush it. Keep staring until she hates her reflection. Get that all out then so the lie about wanting to be more like the other Laurel isn't so bitter on her tongue. Chase away that haunted look. It only makes them suspicious.

Even though Laurel knows all the steps, she barely remembers taking any of them. Just that she finds herself on the couch the next moment, flipping through the TV channels. Even that feels strangely distant.

This shouldn't be getting to her. It's not like she's never seen people killed before, it's not even like she's never done it herself. And it's not like she hasn't seen people tortured. But... it has been a long time. In some ways, she misses Cayden James. He was practical. Efficient. Like her. Diaz is like... well...

Well, he hadn't listened when she'd told him who he was like.

Maybe focusing on the TV is a good idea. Earth-1 has a strange amount of niche reality shows, she's found. At first she settles on a cooking show, since nobody ever dies in a cooking competition.

Then a burst of flame around one of the contestant’s pans gets her to change the chanel very quickly.

"I didn't take you for a pastry person." Laurel spins around in her seat to see Quentin standing in the doorway. She didn't even hear him come in. Is she really getting that sloppy?

He inclines his head towards the TV. Now it's showing _Cupcake Wars_. She hadn't even noticed.

"I'm considering taking up a hobby," She says. "Might as well be baking, right?"

Her father scoffs in that amused and baffled way. The same way as when she'd offered to cook for the first time. She braces herself for a comment about the other Laurel's cooking, but apparently he's too tired for it.

"Anyway. Sorry for coming back so late, but this whole mayor thing, they've been keeping me busy." Oh yes, Laurel knows just how busy he's been. That's why she knew she could slip away with Diaz for a while without him noticing. A traitor part of her wishes he had. "But, y'know, you didn't need to wait up for me."

"I wasn't waiting up for you. I hate waiting for anybody," Laurel snaps, "And it's not like I have _bedtime_."

"Yeah, well." From the look in his eyes, she knows he wants to say something about the other Laurel, and she wants to return it with a petty jab. And yet, she's relieved when he doesn't. "Don’t stay up too late."

When he turns to go, Laurel remembers Jerry. That's not his name, and she knows that, but if she lets herself remember his name it will burn itself into her brain. What she does remember is how he had begged. _I've got kids_ , he'd said. _They need me_.

"Wait," Laurel calls, her voice betraying her. Quentin turns and looks at her again. She must look more upset than she realized, because he looks confused. Not concerned - he never looks concerned, just some strange mix of pitying or confused. After all, she's not his daughter, just some twisted version of her.

How had her father look at her? She can barely remember.

"Don't let them work you too much," She drawls mockingly, to hide anything else that threatens to slip out. "It'd be inconvenient if you keeled over."

"Yeah, thanks for your concern," Her father replies dryly. He disappears down the hallway.

Once he's gone, Laurel shuts off the TV and leans back at the couch. She stares at nothing. The exhaustion settles over her, like a weight pulling her down.

" _Don't cry,_ " Zoom had once told her. " _It gets easier._ " Unsurprisingly, he had been lying.

Her eyes burn. Probably just from the smoke. That's all it is.


End file.
